Saturday, December 29, 2012

The 124th Rose Parade will happen next tuesday January 1st, and Disney designed a gigantic Cars Land float which looks pretty cool indeed. The float will include many elements of Cars Land and of course the favorite “Cars” characters will be there whether it's Mater, Lightning McQueen, Sally, Luigi or Guido.

This Cars Land float will be the longest ever done by Disney for the Rose Parade and promise to be spectacular. If you can attend the parade on tuesday along its road in Pasadena it should be a big "wow!" and if you can't you'll be able to see it on ABC TV.In the meantime have a look at this new video showing the making of the huge Cars Land float!

Disneyland Paris is sending you its best wishes for the new year and just like last year they are doing it electronically with the video below. Wait... you think you saw this one before? Yep, you did, and it's the same one they used early this year for DLP 20th. And by the way, may be someone should tell them that the Lion King sequence is include in DCA World of color and not DLP Disney Dreams show (!) That said we're very happy to hear that the 20th Anniversary will be extended next year - and so will be the Disney Dreams show. Not a major surprise as they do an "extension" at each big anniversary, but in this case it's very welcome.

Will there be any new attraction this year, prior to the 2014 Ratatouille opening? Not really... They're talking about doing - at last - the POTC update with the Jack Sparrow Audio-Animatronics and other effects, but to tell the truth i will believe it when i will see it... they've been they talking about doing it since too long. But who knows, may be this year will be the one!

Friday, December 28, 2012

No, "Imagineer John" is not a WDI Imagineer ( as far as i know ) but there is no doubt that he would love to be one. Most of all, Imagineer John is a talented ride designer creating ride concepts in RCT3. This "Wall-e The Extraordinar-e Adventure" ride concept is the latest installment from Imagineer John, Wall-e being one of his favorite characters. This attraction concept pays tribute to the Pixar movie and riders "would be immersed into an all new epic experience". Something important to know to understand the "camera" moves in the video below: the attraction, as Imagineer John envisioned it will use a robotic controlled arm vehicle called "Carr-e", probably more or less similar to the Kuka robot arm used in the Harry Potter ride at Universal Orlando. Imagineer John would like the ride to be located at WDW Epcot center, which indeed might fit well for a Wall-E ride.That said, this is just a brilliant ride concept done by a talented fan and not a WDI concept. But who knows, if WDI Imagineers don't have their own Wall-E ride concept - which remains to be prove - they might like the one of Imagineer John! Have a look at this "extraodinar-e adventure" and watch it full screen! By the way, open also your ears as he did also a very nice job on the sound!Picture: copyright Disney - PixarVideo: copyright Imagineer John

Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Disney Central Plaza forum has posted the official blueprint of the upcoming WDS Ratatouille attraction facade. It's not a top secret document as everyone going to the city Hall of Chessy can see it. As we knew already the facades of this little land will be a mix of different architectures of Paris buildings. Above, the facade that will hide the show building. On the full blueprint below, if you enlarge the picture, you can see on the right part of the blueprint that the previous DLP costuming building will be hidden by others "Parisian" facades which is a real good news.

Obviously when WDS guests will come in this corner of the park they will have the feeling to arrive in a typical Parisian area/plaza - may be not too exotic for people living in Paris but surely it will be for the others millions of DLP non-parisians guests who are coming at DLP every year. The opening of the Ratatouille ride is expected in 2014, one more year to wait!

ABC aired on Christmas day the 2012 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade filmed both at Disneyland and WDW Magic Kingdom and if you don't live in the U.S.A you might haven't seen it so here it is below. As the anchor men are saying it's full of "Disney Magic" - well here it's a kind of magic pretty hysterical, but, hey, it's Christmas day so everyone must look happy, right?

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A new exhibit called the "Realms of Fantasy" opened recently at Disneyland Disney Gallery display interesting artwork of some WDW New Fantasyland "that never was" ideas and among them - above and below - the concept of a nice Alice in Wonderland area, both by artist Greg Pro.

Another one from artist Chris Smith is showing a Winnie the Pooh area - at least on the right of the artwork - click to enlarge the picture.

Another artwork also from Chris Smith is showing this time a ride that will exist, the future Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction.

Talking about Sven Dwarfs Mine Train WDI also released recently these two new artworks from artist Chris Turner showing interactive scenes that will be part of the queue decor.

It seems that the queue decor will be a pre-show in itself and it looks very promising!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Editor's Note: Just to remind those of you who wish to order a collector copy of the Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book that the $45 discount of the Christmas special offer is ending tonight. Don't miss this great special offer, all you have to do to place your order is to go on the book website HERE or you can use the Paypal button close to the top of the right bar. The book is still available in both its english or french edition.

Monday, December 24, 2012

That's it, it's Christmas tonight and i send to all of you, dear Disney and more readers, my best Christmas wishes! I thought that this WDI concept-art showing Disneyland Paris in winter - a preliminary study showing Fantasia Gardens with frozen lakes and ice skaters with Disneyland Paris hotel and DLP Magic Kingdom in the background - would be perfect for these Christmas Wishes.

Have all a Merry Christmas tonight, wherever you live on the planet i wish to all of you and the ones you love a magical evening!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Among all the attractions that never were for Disneyland Paris, one that i miss the most is the "Automata-mericana" concept that Imagineer Eddie Sotto envisioned for Main Street U.S.A.The idea for this one goes way back to discussions with Herb Ryman in 1988. Imagineers wanted to call it Automata-mericana. As you know Walt Disney had loved miniatures, and Animatronics began with his fascination for French Automata. As you may recall too, he had an antique mechanical bird (which Eddie Sotto paid homage in Walt's Restaurant). There was a space available on Town Square East - under the Dentist where (Franklin Electric was originally) - and that space was considered for the added capacity program the year after DLP opening ( Les Mystères du Nautilus, Indiana Jones and more were part of that ). On an Imagineering research trip in 1988Imagineers had visited a funny Automata museum in Covent Garden, London, ( called Mechanical Cabaret Theater, since gone ) and they were inspired by the displays and how much people enjoyed them. The exhibit displays were not antiques, but rather new designs and it gave to Eddie Sotto the idea that Imagineers could make their own and customize them. The prescription vending beheaded doctor, "Shrunken Ned" at Disneyland Adventureland was inspired by one of the automata display there. Imagineer Eddie Johnson worked with Eddie and he came up with a series of sketches for the animated displays, each portraying life on Main Street in a funny way. Eddie Sotto recall his drawing of the Main Street cinema for one. Among these was a Barber Shop, Fire Station and Market House too, each with the Main Street "citizens" doing funny things. For Eddie and the Imagineers the idea was to bridge the language barrier and show rather than explain the story of American life in that time period by using intricate display animation. Budget for the "added capacity program" unfortunately ate up all of the Main Street enhancements, except for an additional Steam Train - the Eureka. Eddie would still love to build this and think it would be a crowd pleaser in a quaint way. The sepia tone artwork was a sketch above is from Eddie Sotto.The video below show some of the actual exhibits Imagineers saw back then, in London. Done in a Disney style with a Main Street Story, they would have been a great addition, with lots of humor.This next video shows Disneyland Adventureland "Shrunken Ned" - Eddie Sotto play his voice.

If DLP had the budget to do it it still will be possible to add this Automata-mericana attraction where Eddie Sotto wanted to build it, so let's hope that someone at DLP will remember this great concept and will decide to add it at DLP Main Street U.S.A!The artwork on the top is among the 250 WDI renderings that you can find in the great Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book. Until tomorrow evening you still can enjoy the $45 discount thanks to the Christmas special offer with a special price of 85 euros ( $108 ) - instead of 120€ ( $155 ) and 15€ only for shipping wherever you live on the planet! As usual you can send your payment with Paypal at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com and send your order at the same email address. Bank transfers are also possible.One click payment available through the Paypal button below!

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Walt Disney Imagineering turned 60 this week and it was for the most sixty fantastic years, wasn't it? I will pay tribute in the days to come to this WDI 60th anniversary with great "Imagineering" posts and in the meantime have a look at this short video that Disney released a few days ago to celebrate the event!

So, did the end of the world happened for real at Disneyland Paris last friday? Of course not, you would have heard about it on CNN, right? In fact i did these images early this year having fun with an iPad app. Then, as the result was not that bad i thought i'll keep them for an April Fool three months later. But last April, the 1st of April was also the day Disneyland Paris celebrated its 20th anniversary and i thought that posting an article showing the end of the world at DLP on that day wouldn't have been cool, even if it was an April Fool.

So, i forgot the pictures and remember them during last week end of the world frenzy.
So, yes, it was a kind of April Fool four months in advance and for those of you who are still doubting it happened for real or not - if there is any - have a look at the picture below showing a fall of meteorites on Main Street. Even if all the meteorites of the universe were falling on Main Street there is one thing that i can guarantee you: you will never - never - have a T-Rex standing on Town Square!

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